Indicator assembly

ABSTRACT

A regulator includes a valve body and a control element movable between a closed position, in which the control element engages a valve seat, and an open position, in which the control element is spaced away from the valve seat. A stem is operatively coupled to the control element and is axially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the valve body. An indicator assembly is at least partially disposed in the valve body and is operatively coupled to the stem. The indicator assembly includes a rod operatively coupled to the stem and an indicator operatively coupled to the rod. The indicator is arranged to display a position of the control element. The rod of the indicator assembly is movable by the stem between a first position when the control element is in the closed position, and a second position when the control element is in the open position.

FIELD OF DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure generally relates to a regulator, and, moreparticularly, to an indicator assembly for a regulator.

BACKGROUND

Industrial processing plants use pressure regulators in a wide varietyof applications such as, for example, controlling fluid flow (e.g., gas,liquid) in a processing operation. A valve body of a conventionalregulator valve is divided into several parts, which must be tightlysecured together to maintain internal pressure of the regulator. Thevalve body requires a plurality of mounting flanges, flange bolts, andmust be disassembled to access the internal components of the regulatorfor repair or replacement.

SUMMARY

In accordance with a first exemplary aspect, a fluid control device mayinclude a valve body defining an inlet, an outlet, and a flow pathconnecting the inlet and the outlet. A control element may be movablealong a longitudinal axis between the inlet and the outlet between aclosed position, in which the control element engages a valve seat, andan open position, in which the control element is spaced away from thevalve seat. A stem may be operatively coupled to the control element andaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis. An indicator assembly may beat least partially disposed in a bore of the valve body along anindicator axis that is non-parallel with the longitudinal axis. Movementof the stem along the longitudinal axis may cause movement of a rod ofthe indicator assembly along or about the indicator axis to indicate aposition of the control element.

In accordance with a second exemplary aspect, a fluid control device mayinclude a valve body defining an inlet, an outlet, and a flow pathconnecting the inlet and the outlet. A control element may be movablealong a longitudinal axis of the valve body between a closed position,in which the control element engages a valve seat, and an open position,in which the control element is spaced away from the valve seat. A stemmay be operatively coupled to the control element and axially alignedwith the longitudinal axis. An indicator assembly may be at leastpartially disposed in a bore of the valve body along an indicator axisthat is non-parallel with the longitudinal axis. The indicator assemblymay include a roller that is in contact with a conical cap connected tothe stem. A rod may be coupled to the roller, and movement of the rolleralong the cap may cause movement of the rod along the indicator axis toindicate a position of the control element relative to the valve seat.

In accordance with a third exemplary aspect, an indicator assembly foruse with a fluid control device may include a rod positioned at leastpartially within a body of the fluid control device along an indicatoraxis. At least one feature may be operatively coupled to the rod andoperatively couplable to a stem of the fluid control device. Theindicator assembly may be configured to convert the movement of the stemalong a longitudinal axis that is non-parallel with the indicator axisinto a movement along or about the indicator axis to indicate a positionof a control element of the fluid control device.

In further accordance with any one or more of the foregoing first,second, or third exemplary aspects, a fluid control device and/or anindicator assembly for use with a fluid control device may furtherinclude any one or more of the following preferred forms.

In a preferred form, the indicator axis may be perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis.

In a preferred form, the indicator assembly may include an indicatorthat is coupled to the rod and that is extendable outside of the valvebody.

In a preferred form, the indicator assembly may include a plug coupledto the valve body.

In a preferred form, the indicator may be slidably coupled to the plug.

In a preferred form, the indicator may extend a first distance outsideof the valve body when the control element is in the open position andmay extend a second distance outside of the valve body when the controlelement is in the closed position.

In a preferred form, the first distance may be greater than the seconddistance.

In a preferred form, the indicator assembly may include a springdisposed between the plug and a spring seat carried by the rod.

In a preferred form, the spring may bias the rod toward the stem.

In a preferred form, a cap may be disposed at an end of the stem and mayinclude a sloped surface.

In a preferred form, the cap may have a wide first end and a narrowsecond end.

In a preferred form, the first end of the cap may be in contact with therod when the control element is in the open position, and the second endof the cap may be in contact with the rod when the control element is inthe closed position.

In a preferred form, the indicator assembly may include a roller thatcontacts the cap.

In a preferred form, the indicator assembly may include a cord and aroller.

In a preferred form, the cord may be operatively coupled to the stem ata first end of the cord and operatively coupled to the rod at a secondend of the cord.

In a preferred form, the cord and the roller may be configured totranslate an axial movement of the stem to an axial movement of the rod.

In a preferred form, the indicator assembly may include an arm hingedlycoupled to the stem and hingedly coupled to the rod.

In a preferred form, the arm may be configured to translate an axialmovement of the stem to an axial movement of the rod.

In a preferred form, an axial movement of the stem may cause rotationalmovement of the rod.

In a preferred form, the stem may include a corrugated surface and therod may include a corrugated surface rotatably coupled to the corrugatedsurface of the stem.

In a preferred form, when the stem moves in a direction parallel to thelongitudinal axis of the valve body, the corrugated surface of the stemmay engage the corrugated surface of the rod to rotate the rod about theindicator axis.

In a preferred form, the indicator assembly may include a spring thatbiases the roller towards the conical cap.

In a preferred form, an indicator may be coupled to the rod and that maybe extendable outside of the body.

In a preferred form, the at least one feature may be configured toengage a cap disposed at an end of the stem and may have a slopedsurface.

In a preferred form, the at least one feature may be positioned at awide end of the cap when the control element is in a first position andat a narrow end of the cap when the control element is in a secondposition.

In a preferred form, the at least one feature may be a roller thatcontacts the cap.

In a preferred form, the at least one feature may include a cord and aroller.

Any one or more of these aspects may be considered separately and/orcombined with each other in any functionally appropriate manner. Inaddition, any one or more of these aspects may further include and/or beimplemented in any one or more of the optional exemplary arrangementsand/or features described hereinafter. These and other aspects,arrangements, features, and/or technical effects will become apparentupon detailed inspection of the figures and the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a regulator assembled inaccordance with the teachings of the present disclosure, showing theregulator in a fully open position;

FIG. 2 is a partial, exploded, perspective cross-sectional view of theregulator of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front cross-sectional view of the regulator of FIG. 1,showing the regulator in a closed position;

FIG. 4A is a magnified view of a portion of the regulator of FIG. 3,showing a seal assembly;

FIG. 4B is a magnified view of a different portion of the regulator ofFIG. 3;

FIG. 4C is a magnified view of a different portion of the regulator ofFIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a first exemplary stem of theregulator of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6A is a first exemplary cross-sectional view of the regulator ofFIG. 1 taken at I-I of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6B is a second exemplary cross-sectional view of the regulator ofFIG. 1 taken at I-I of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the regulator of FIG. 1 taken atII-II of FIG. 3;

FIG. 8A is a front, cross-sectional view of the regulator of FIG. 1,showing the regulator in the closed position;

FIG. 8B is a top, cross-sectional view of the regulator of FIG. 1,showing the regulator in the closed position;

FIG. 9A is a front, cross-sectional view of the regulator of FIG. 1,showing the regulator in a partially open position;

FIG. 9B is a top, cross-sectional view of the regulator of FIG. 1,showing the regulator in a partially open position;

FIG. 10A is a front, cross-sectional view of the regulator of FIG. 1,showing the regulator in the fully open position;

FIG. 10B is a top, cross-sectional view of the regulator of FIG. 1,showing the regulator in the fully open position;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a second exemplary stem assembledin accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11A is a cross-sectional view of the stem of FIG. 11 taken at A-A;

FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view of the stem of FIG. 11 taken at B-B;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a third exemplary stem assembled inaccordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 12A is a cross-sectional view of the stem of FIG. 12 taken at A-A;

FIG. 12B is a cross-sectional view of the stem of FIG. 12 taken at B-B;

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a fourth exemplary stem assembledin accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 13A is a cross-sectional view of the stem of FIG. 13 taken at A-A;

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a fifth exemplary stem assembled inaccordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 14A is a cross-sectional view of the stem of FIG. 14 taken at A-A;

FIG. 14B is a cross-sectional view of the stem of FIG. 14 taken at B-B;

FIG. 14C is a cross-sectional view of the stem of FIG. 14 taken at C-C;

FIG. 14D is a cross-sectional view of the stem of FIG. 14 taken at D-D;

FIG. 15 is a magnified view of the regulator of FIG. 3, showing a firstexemplary indicator assembly of the regulator of FIG. 1;

FIG. 16 is a partial, cross-sectional view of a second exemplaryindicator assembly assembled in accordance with the teachings of thepresent disclosure, and disposed in the regulator of FIG. 1;

FIG. 16A is a partial, cross-sectional view of the indicator assembly ofFIG. 16 taken at A-A;

FIG. 16B is a partial, side view of the indicator assembly of FIG. 16;

FIG. 17 is a partial, cross-sectional view of a third exemplaryindicator assembly assembled in accordance with the teachings of thepresent disclosure, and disposed in the regulator of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 18 is a partial, cross-sectional view of a fourth exemplaryindicator assembly assembled in accordance with the teachings of thepresent disclosure, and disposed in the regulator of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In FIGS. 1-3, an exemplary fluid regulator 10 is constructed accordingto the teachings of the present disclosure. The regulator 10 includes avalve body 14 having a central bore 18 and an actuator assembly 22disposed in the bore 18. The valve body 14 defines an inlet 26, anoutlet 30, and a flow path 34 connecting the inlet 26 and the outlet 30.The bore 18 formed in the valve body 14 is centered on a longitudinalaxis X of the valve body 14, and the flow path 34 is peripherallydisposed relative to the bore 18. A control element 38 is movablerelative to the valve body 14 between a closed position (FIG. 3), inwhich the control element 38 engages a valve seat 42 disposed in theflow path 34, and an open position (FIG. 1), in which the controlelement 38 is spaced away from the valve seat 42. The actuator assembly22 is operatively coupled to the control element 38 and is configured tomove the control element 38 axially along the longitudinal axis X toopen and close the regulator 10. An inlet fitting 46 is coupled to thevalve body 14 at the inlet 26 and is configured to retain the actuatorassembly 22 and the control element 38 within the bore 18 of the valvebody 14. The inlet fitting 46 is removably coupled to the valve body 14.For example, external threads on the inlet fitting 46 may couple tointernal threads in the inlet 26 of the valve body 14. Similarly, theinlet fitting 46 may be bolted to the inlet 26 of the valve body 14.Because the inlet fitting 46 is removable from the valve body 14, theinternal components (e.g., the actuator assembly 22 and the controlelement 38) of the regulator 10 are insertable and removable through theinlet 26. However, in another example, the inlet 26 and the outlet 30may be switched (i.e., such that fluid flows from the right to the leftin FIGS. 1-3) in which case the internal components of the regulator 10would be removably disposed through the outlet 30 of the valve body 14.In either example, the valve body 14 may be a single-cast (e.g.,integrally formed) valve body 14.

The actuator assembly 22 includes a sleeve 50, a stem 54 extendingthrough the sleeve 50, a first piston 60 coupled to the stem 54, and asecond piston 62 coupled to the stem 54 and spaced away from the firstpiston 60. The sleeve 50, the stem 54, or both the sleeve 50 and thestem 54 provide pathways to permit internal fluid communication toactuate the actuator assembly 22. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the sleeve50 includes separable first and second sleeve portions 50 a, 50 b. Thefirst sleeve portion 50 a has a cylindrical wall 66 a and a first plate70 and the second sleeve portion 50 b has a cylindrical wall 66 b and asecond plate 72. When the first and second sleeve portions 50 a, 50 bare positioned adjacent to each other as shown in FIG. 2, theycollectively form the sleeve 50 in which the first plate 70 is spacedfrom the second plate 72. The cylindrical walls 66 a, 66 b (togetherforming a wall labeled as 66) and the first and second plates 70, 72define a first cavity 75 in which the first piston 60 is slidablydisposed, and a second cavity 74 in which the second piston 62 isslidably disposed. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, and described in moredetail below, a pathway 76 is formed in the cylindrical wall 66 of thesleeve 50 to provide fluid communication between an upstream surface 78of the first piston 60 and an upstream surface 80 of the second piston62. Also described further below, the stem 54 includes a passage 82(shown in dashed lines in FIG. 1) extending partially through the stem54 that provides fluid communication between a downstream 84 surface ofthe first piston 60 and a downstream surface 86 of the second piston 62.As used herein, the term “upstream” refers to a side facing the inlet 26(i.e., upstream of the flow path 34), and the term “downstream” refersto a side facing the outlet 30 (i.e., downstream the flow path 34).

As shown in FIG. 2, the internal components of the regulator 10 areconfigured to align with the longitudinal axis X of the valve body 14.The sleeve 50 is particularly constructed to align the stem 54, thefirst piston 60, and the second piston 62 with the control element 38such that the actuator assembly 22 and the control element 38 areproperly aligned within the bore 18 of the valve body 14. For example,the first plate 70 and the second plate 72 each define an aperture 87,89, respectively, that is aligned with a longitudinal axis E of thesleeve 50. The longitudinal axis E is coaxial with the longitudinal axisX of the valve body 14 when the sleeve 50 is disposed in the bore 18.The cylindrical wall 66 of the sleeve 50 is shaped to substantiallymatch a contoured wall defining the bore 18 of the valve body 14 so thatthe sleeve 50 is properly in axial alignment when the sleeve 50 is fullyinserted into the valve body 14. The sleeve 50 includes a first end 51and a second end 53. In the illustrated embodiment, the first end 51 hasan inner diameter S₁ that is different than an inner diameter S₂ of thesecond end 53. In other embodiments, however, different sleevegeometries might be used to correspond to different geometries of thebore 18. The inner diameter S₁ of the first end 51 is sized and shapedto slidably receive the control element 38. The second end 53 isconfigured to abut against an inner wall of the valve body 14 such thatthe internal components of the regulator 10 are secured (e.g., clamped)in place when the inlet fitting 46 is secured to the valve body 14. Whenthe control element 38 is in the fully open position, the second piston62 is adjacent to the second end 53 of the sleeve 50.

The first and second pistons 60, 62 are configured to slide togetheragainst a smooth interior surface of the cylindrical wall 66 of thesleeve 50 in response to changes in pressure sensed by the actuatorassembly 22. The first and second pistons 60, 62 are securely attachedto the stem 54 such that the stem 54 and pistons 60, 62 move relative tothe sleeve 50 while the sleeve 50 remains in a fixed position relativeto the valve body 14. The stem 54 has a longitudinal axis F that isarranged to align with the longitudinal axis X of the valve body 14. Asdiscussed further below, a plurality of chambers 88, 90, 92, and 94 areformed between the sleeve 50 and the first and second pistons 60, 62 andhave varying internal volumes when the regulator 10 opens and closes. Inparticular, as shown in FIG. 3, a first chamber 88 is disposed betweenthe first plate 70 of the sleeve 50 and the first piston 60, a secondchamber 90 is disposed between the first piston 60 and the second plate72 of the sleeve 50, a third chamber 92 is disposed between the secondplate 72 of the sleeve 50 and the second piston 62, and a fourth chamber94 is disposed downstream of the second piston 62. The fourth chamber 94is partially defined by the cylindrical wall 66 of the sleeve 50 and thevalve body 14. A travel indicator assembly 96 is partially disposed inthe fourth chamber 94 and provides a visual indication of the position(e.g., partially open, fully open, closed) of the regulator 10.

In operation, the actuator assembly 22 actuates the control element 38between the open position and the closed position in response to thebalance of fluid pressures in the first, second, third, and fourthchambers 88, 90, 92, and 94 operating on the first and second pistons60, 62. In the illustrated example, the first and third chambers 88, 92are in fluid communication via the pathway 76 formed in the sleeveportions 50 a, 50 b (as described below), and the second and fourthchambers 90, 94 are in fluid communication via the passage 82 of thestem 54. Fluid pressure in the first and third chambers 88, 92 operateson the upstream surfaces 78, 80 of the first and second pistons 60, 62,respectively, to urge the first and second pistons 60, 62 in a firstdirection H toward the open position of the regulator 10. Fluid pressurein the second and fourth chambers 90, 94 operates on the downstreamsurfaces 84, 86 of the first and second pistons 60, 62, respectively, tourge the first and second pistons 60, 62 in a second direction G(opposite the first direction H) toward the closed position of theregulator 10.

The chambers 88, 90, 92, and 94 of the regulator 10 may be defined inrelation to the location of the inlet 26 and the outlet 30, andgenerally in the direction of fluid flow. For example, fluid flowsgenerally in the direction from the inlet 26 and towards the outlet 30such that the first chamber 88 is an upstream chamber (i.e., the firstupstream chamber 88) to the first piston 60 and the second chamber 90 isa downstream chamber (i.e., the first downstream chamber 90) to thefirst piston 60. Similarly, the third chamber 92 is an upstream chamber(i.e., the second upstream chamber 92) to the second piston 62 and thefourth chamber 94 is a downstream chamber (i.e., the second downstreamchamber 94) to the second piston 62. Through the pathways in the sleeve50 and/or stem 54, the first and second upstream chambers 88, 92 are influid communication with each other, and the first and second downstreamchambers 90, 94 are in fluid communication with each other.

The regulator 10 further includes a spring 100, a valve cage 104, and aseal assembly 108 secured in the valve body 14 by the inlet fitting 46.The spring 100 is disposed between a spring seat 112 formed in the firstplate 70 of the sleeve 50 and a spring seat 116 formed in the controlelement 38. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the control element 38 includes aplurality of spokes 120 extending between a central hub 124 and an outerring 128, which surrounds the spring 100. The central hub 124 defines ahub aperture 130 that is sized to receive a first end 132 of the stem54. As shown in FIG. 3, the spokes 120 of the control element 38 extendradially outward from the central hub 124 at an angle. The aperturesbetween the spokes 120 enable fluid pressure at the inlet 26 to operateon the upstream and downstream sides of the control element 38 surfacesequally such that the fluid inlet pressure does not act to urge thecontrol element 38 in the direction H. The control element 38 isconfigured to slide with the stem 54 relative to the cage 104 andrelative to the sleeve 50 between the open and closed positions. In theclosed position, the outer ring 128 of the control element 38 cooperateswith the seal assembly 108 to prevent fluid from flowing from the inlet26 to the outlet 30. In particular, a radially outward portion of anupstream end of the outer ring 128 (opposite the spring seat 116) isconfigured to engage with the radial seal assembly 144 of the valve seat42 as described in greater detail below. One or more seals may bedisposed between the control element 38 and the sleeve 50.

FIG. 3 illustrates a spacer 134 that is coupled to the inlet end of thevalve body 14. The spacer 134 is clamped between a flange at theupstream end of the regulator 10 and a corresponding flange (not shown)positioned upstream of the spacer 134 by bolts that span between theflanges and compress gaskets 136 that are positioned between the spacer134 and each flange (only one such gasket 136 is shown). The spacer 134can be removed by removing the bolts to enable insertion or removal ofthe internal components of the regulator 14 (e.g., the seal assembly108, the actuator assembly 22 components, the control element 38components, etc.) while the regulator 10 is installed.

FIG. 4A illustrates the seal assembly 108 of FIG. 3 in more detail. Theseal assembly 108 includes a retaining ring 140 and a radial seal ring144 disposed in a groove between the retaining ring 140 and the inletfitting 46. In the closed position, the outer ring 128 of the controlelement 38 sealably engages with the seal ring 144 to provide afluid-tight engagement. The radial seal ring 144 is formed from amaterial such as Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), which provides wear andchemical resistance and a smaller sealing force against the controlelement 38. A first O-ring 152 is positioned radially outward of theradial seal ring 144 within the groove between the retaining ring 140and the inlet fitting 46 to urge the radial seal ring 144 into contactwith the control element 38 when the regulator 10 is in the closedposition. A second O-ring 152 is positioned between the retaining ring140 and the inlet fitting 46. A fastener 148 secures the retaining ring140 in place relative to the inlet fitting 46.

FIGS. 4B and 4C illustrate the actuator assembly 22 of FIG. 3 in moredetail. In these figures, the connections between the stem 54 and thefirst plate 70, the stem 54 and the second plate 72, the stem 54 and thefirst piston 60, and the stem 54 and the second piston 62 are moreclearly illustrated. These figures also illustrate the varying diameters(or thicknesses) of the stem 54 along the length of the stem 54. Each ofthe varying diameters of the stem 54 is sized to match up specificallywith one of the first plate 70, the first piston 60, the second plate72, or the second piston 62. The stem 54 is divided into segments orportions that slide relative to the first plate 70 of the sleeve 50 andrelative to the second plate 72 of the sleeve 50. In FIG. 4B, a firstportion 156 of the stem 54 is disposed through the aperture 87 of thefirst plate 70. The aperture 87 of the first plate 70 is particularlysized to receive the first portion 156 of the stem 54, which has anouter diameter D₁. A packing assembly 164 is secured to the first plate70 and is configured to permit the stem 54 to slide relative to thefirst plate 70 while providing a sealed connection between the firstplate 70 and the first portion 156 of the stem 54. FIG. 4B alsoillustrates the first piston 60 attached to a first stepped portion 166formed in the outer surface of the stem 54. The first piston 60 issecured to the stem 54 via a retaining plate 168 and fasteners 170. Theretaining plate 168 is disposed in an annular groove 174 formed in thestem 54 and that is sized to receive the retaining plate 168 such thatthe first piston 60 does not slide relative to the stem 54. Turning toFIG. 4C, the aperture 89 of the second plate 72 is particularly sized toreceive a second portion 182 of the stem 54, which has an outer diameterD₂ that is different from the outer diameter D₁ of the first portion156. FIG. 4C also illustrates the second piston 62 attached to a secondstepped portion 184 formed in the outer surface of the stem 54. Thesecond piston 62 is secured to the stem 54 via a retaining cap 186,which is threaded onto the stem 54. In other examples, the second piston62 may be secured to the stem 54 by other suitable connections.

As shown in FIG. 5, the first and second stepped portions 166, 184 andthe different outer diameters D₁, D₂ of the stem 54 correspond to aparticular placement of the stem 54 relative to the first and secondplates 70, 72 of the sleeve 50. In operation, the stem 54 slidesrelative to the first plate 70 of the sleeve 50 along a length L₁ of thefirst portion 156 and relative to the second plate 72 of the sleeve 50along a length L₂ of the second portion 182. The geometricconfigurations of the stem 54 and the valve body 14 ensure that thefirst plate 70, second plate 72, first piston 60, and second piston 62are properly aligned within the valve body 14.

As shown in FIGS. 4B, 4C, and 5, the corresponding engagements betweenthe stem 54 and the first and second plates 70, 72 of the sleeve 50 alsoensure proper alignment of the pathway 76 connecting the first and thirdchambers 88, 92 and proper alignment of the passage 82 formed in thestem 54 connecting the second and fourth chambers 90, 94. As shown inFIG. 4B, the passage 82 includes a radial channel 194 (e.g., extendingin a radial direction relative to the longitudinal axis X), and alongitudinal channel 198 centrally disposed in the second portion 182 ofthe stem 54 and extending axially through to a second end 200 of thestem 54. The radial channel 194 is in fluid communication with thesecond chamber 90 and is positioned adjacent to the downstream surface84 of the first piston 60. The longitudinal channel 198 extends axiallyalong the longitudinal axis X of the valve body 14, and terminates inthe fourth chamber 94. The radial channel 194 is perpendicular to thelongitudinal channel 198, however, in other examples, the channels 194,198 may not be perpendicular to each other but, instead, may benon-parallel. Further, the stem 54 may include a plurality of connectedcomponents to provide the stem configuration, and may have a pluralityof passages running parallel and/or staggered relative to each other toconnect different chambers 88, 90, 92, and 94 of the actuator assembly22.

Returning briefly to FIG. 3, the pathway 76 formed in the sleeve 50 ispartially illustrated. The pathway 76 includes one or more channelshaving both a lateral portion 202, which is depicted in FIG. 3, and anaxial portion hidden from view in FIG. 3. Each lateral portion 202extends radially inward from the cylindrical wall 66 within a portion ofthe second plate 72. Each lateral portion 202 of the pathway 76 connectsto a bore 204 formed in a downstream surface of the second plate 72 ofthe sleeve 50 to provide fluid communication between the lateral portion202 of the pathway 76 and the third chamber 92. Turning now to FIGS. 6Aand 6B, first and second exemplary arrangements of an axial portion ofthe pathway 76 formed in the sleeve 50 are illustrated. Turning first toFIG. 6A, the axial portion of the pathway 76 includes one or morechannels 206A (four channels are shown but more or fewer may be employedin different arrangements), where each channel 206A extends through thecylindrical wall 66 of the sleeve 50 to connect the first chamber 88with the lateral portion 202 of the pathway 76. The channels 206A areformed in an exterior surface 210 of the sleeve 50 such that the pathway76 is at least partially defined between the sleeve 50 and the valvebody 14. In the second exemplary arrangement in FIG. 6B, the axialportion of the pathway 76 includes one or more channels 206B formedbetween an inner surface 214 of the cylindrical wall 66 and the outersurface 210 of the cylindrical wall 66 such that the axial portion ofeach of the channels 206B is embedded within the cylindrical wall 66 ofthe sleeve 50. In either arrangement in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the axialportion 206A, 206B of the pathway 76 ultimately extends between thelateral portion 202 and the upstream end of the second sleeve portion 50b. The downstream surface of the first plate 70 includes one or moregrooves that comprise a further portion of the pathway 76 such that thefirst and third chambers 88, 92 are fluidly connected

FIG. 7 of the regulator 10 illustrates a drain hole 218 formed in thevalve body 14. The drain hole 218 fluidly couples the flow path 34 ofthe valve body 14 and the atmosphere, and may provide an access port todrain process fluid remaining in the valve body 14 (e.g., condensation).The drain hole 218 may be sealed with a plug that is accessible from anexterior surface 222 of the valve body 14.

FIGS. 8A, 8B, 9A, 9B, 10A, and 10B illustrate front and top views of theregulator 10 in the closed position (FIGS. 8A, 8B), a partially openposition (FIGS. 9A, 9B), and a fully open position (FIGS. 10A, 10B). Apilot device may be operatively coupled to the regulator 10 to controlpiston movement of the actuator assembly 22 and regulate flow throughthe regulator 10. In particular, the pilot device may be configured tosense a fluid pressure upstream or downstream of the regulator 10 andadjust a loading pressure that is supplied to actuate the regulator 10accordingly. In the illustrated example, a first channel 226 (FIGS. 8B,9B, 10B) extends laterally (radially outwardly from the longitudinalaxis X) through a side wall of the valve body 14 and terminates in thebore 18 to provide an external fluid connection with the pathway 76. Thesecond sleeve portion 50 b is structured such that the axial portion(e.g., 206A, 206B) of the pathway 76 is fluidly coupled with the firstchannel 226. As such, the first channel 226 is in fluid communicationwith the first and third chambers 88, 92 via the pathway 76. A secondchannel 230 extends laterally through the side wall of the valve body 14and terminates in the bore 18 to provide an external fluid connectionwith the fourth chamber 94. As such, the second channel 230 is in fluidcommunication with the second and fourth chambers 90, 94 via the passage82 in the stem 54. The channels 226, 230 may be located in otherportions of the valve body 14 and/or may be configured to provide fluidpressure to other portions of the actuator assembly 22 inside the valvebody 14. The channels 226, 230 may terminate at a connection fitting(e.g., a tubing fitting) at the exterior surface of the valve body 14 tofacilitate connection to sense and loading lines as described below.

In a typical arrangement, the second channel 230 receives downstreampressure via a sense line and the first channel 226 receives a loadingpressure from the pilot device via a loading line such that theregulator 10 functions as a pressure reducing regulator. In such anarrangement, when the downstream pressure is at or above the pressuresetpoint of the pilot device, the pilot device supplies the downstreampressure as the loading pressure to the first channel 226. Accordingly,the force generated by the spring 100 and the fluid pressure (i.e., thedownstream pressure) in the second and fourth chambers 90, 94 operatingon the downstream surfaces 84, 86 of the first and second pistons 60,62, respectively, exceeds the force generated by the fluid pressure(i.e., the downstream pressure) in the first and third chambers 88, 92operating on the upstream surfaces 78, 80 of the first and secondpistons 60, 62, respectively. As a result, the shaft 54 and theconnected control element 38 are moved fully in the direction G untilthe first and second pistons 60, 62 are adjacent the first and secondplates 70, 72 and the control element 38 engages the valve seat 42 asshown in FIGS. 8A and 8B. In this position, fluid is prevented fromflowing from the inlet 26 to the outlet 30.

When downstream demand increases such that the downstream pressure dropsbelow the pressure setpoint of the pilot device, the pilot devicesupplies an increased pressure (i.e., a pressure greater than thedownstream pressure) as the loading pressure to the first channel 226.At this increased loading pressure, the force generated by the fluidpressure (i.e., the increased loading pressure) in the first and thirdchambers 88, 92 operating on the upstream surfaces 78, 80 of the firstand second pistons 60, 62, respectively, exceeds the force generated bythe spring 100 and the fluid pressure (i.e., the downstream pressure) inthe second and fourth chambers 90, 94 operating on the downstreamsurfaces 84, 86 of the first and second pistons 60, 62, respectively. Asa result, the shaft 54 and the connected control element 38 are moved inthe direction H, which causes the control element 38 to disengage fromthe seat 42 and enables fluid to flow from the inlet 26 to the outlet30. The force balance determines the actual position of the shaft 54 andthe connected control element 38, and the flow capacity of the regulator10 increases as the control element 38 moves away from the seat 42 inthe direction H to the partially open position in FIGS. 9A and 9B andfurther to the fully open position in FIGS. 10A and 10B. While the aboveexample describes a typical connection of a pilot device to the firstand second channels 226, 230, the regulator 10 can also be configureddifferently. For example, the first channel 226 may alternatively beconnected to the upstream pressure and the second channel 230 may beconnected to the loading pressure supplied by a pilot device such thatthe regulator 10 functions as a backpressure regulator.

Turning now to FIGS. 11-14, alternative stem arrangements for use withthe axial regulator 10 of FIGS. 1-10B are constructed according to theteachings of the present disclosure. Second, third, fourth, and fifthexemplary stems 236, 238, 240, and 242 are configured to slidably coupleto the sleeve 50 of the actuator assembly 22 and therefore may replacethe first exemplary stem 54. Each of the second, third, fourth, andfifth exemplary stems 236, 238, 240, and 242 define a first passage tofluidly couple the second and fourth chambers 90, 94 and a secondpassage to fluidly couple the first and third chambers 88, 92.Accordingly, the actuator assembly 22 utilizing one of the second,third, fourth, and fifth exemplary stems 236, 238, 240, and 242 mayinclude a sleeve 50 similar to the first exemplary sleeve 50 illustratedin the previous figures but without one or more pathways 76 formed inthe cylindrical sleeve 50.

In FIGS. 11, 11A, and 11B, the second exemplary stem 236 extends betweena first end 244 and a second end 246 and includes a first passage 248, asecond passage 250, and a third passage 252. The stem 236 may includethe same shape as the stem 54 of FIG. 5 to facilitate assembly with thedual-piston actuator assembly 22. Similar to the stem 54 of FIG. 5, thelongitudinal axis F of the second exemplary stem 236 is coaxial with thelongitudinal axis X of the valve body 14. Additionally, the stem 236includes a first portion 256 having a diameter D₁ and a second portion260 having a diameter D₂. A first stepped portion 264 separates thefirst and second portions 256, 260 of the stem 236, and a second steppedportion 268 separates the second portion 260 and the second end 246.Similar to the passage 82 of the stem 54 of FIG. 5, the first passage248 extends partially through the stem 236 in a direction parallel withthe longitudinal axis F. The first passage 248 includes a radial channel272 (e.g., extending in a radial direction relative to the longitudinalaxis F), and a longitudinal channel 276 extending between the radialchannel 272 and the second end 246 of the stem 236. More particularly,the radial channel 272 extends through an exterior surface 280 of thestem 248 in the second portion 260 so that the radial channel 272 is influid communication with the second chamber 90 and is positionedadjacent to the downstream surface 84 of the first piston 60. Thelongitudinal channel 276 extends axially (or parallel) relative to thelongitudinal axis X of the valve body 14, and terminates in the fourthchamber 94.

By comparison to the stem 54 of FIG. 5, the second exemplary stem 236 isconfigured to fluidly couple the first and third chambers 88, 92 of theregulator 10. The second and third passages 250, 252 are symmetricalabout the longitudinal F axis of the stem 236 and extend between thefirst portion 256 and through to the second portion 260 of the stem 236.The second passage 250 includes a first radial channel 284 formed in thefirst portion 256 of the stem 236, a second radial channel 288 formed inthe second portion 260 of the stem 236, and a longitudinal channel 292extending between the first and second radial channels 284, 288. Thefirst and second radial channels 284, 288 are positioned relative to thestem 236 such that the second passage 250 is in fluid communication withthe first and third chambers 88, 92 of the regulator 10. As such, itwill be appreciated that the first plate 70 and the second plate 72 ofthe sleeve 50, for example, are shaped to permit fluid communicationbetween the first and third chambers 88, 92, via the radial channels284, 288 and are connected to the longitudinal channel 292. It will alsobe appreciated that the third passage 252 is substantially similar tothe second passage 250 such that any details of the second passage 250apply equally to the third passage 252. The first, second, and thirdpassages 248, 250, and 252 may have the same inner diameter, or thefirst passage 248 may have an inner diameter that is greater than theinner diameter of each of the second and third passages 250, 252. In oneexample, a combined flow capacity of the second and third passages 250,252 substantially matches the flow capacity of the first passage 248.

In FIGS. 12, 12A, and 12B, the third exemplary stem 238 is constructedaccording to the teachings of the present disclosure. The thirdexemplary stem 238 is similar to the second exemplary stem 236 of FIGS.11, 11A, and 11B, however, the third exemplary stem 238 includes firstand second passages. Similar to the second exemplary stem 236, the firstpassage 248 of the third exemplary stem 238 is axially aligned with thelongitudinal axis F, and the second passage 250 is parallel and radiallyoffset relative to the longitudinal axis F. Additionally, thelongitudinal axis F of the third exemplary stem 238 is coaxial with thelongitudinal axis X of the valve body 14. In the illustrated example, aninner diameter of the first passage 248 is equal to an inner diameter ofthe second passage 250. However, in other examples, the inner diameterof the passages 248, 250 are different. In yet another example, both ofthe first passage 248 and the second passage 250 may be radially offsetrelative to the longitudinal axis F.

In FIGS. 13 and 13A, the fourth exemplary stem 240 is constructedaccording to the teachings of the present disclosure. When the fourthexemplary stem 240 is disposed in the valve body 14, the longitudinalaxis F of the stem 240 is coaxial with the longitudinal axis X of thevalve body 14. The fourth exemplary stem 240 is similar to the secondexemplary stem 236 of FIGS. 11, 11A, and 11B, however, the second andthird passages 250, 252 of the fourth exemplary stem 240 extend from thefirst end 244 to the second portion 260 of the stem 240. To facilitatemanufacturing, the first passage 248 is formed by drilling thelongitudinal channel 276 from the second end 246, and the second andthird passages 250, 252 are formed by drilling the longitudinal channels292 from the first end 244 of the stem 240. A radial channel 294 extendsthrough the first portion 256 of the stem 240 to connect thelongitudinal channels 292 of the first and second passages 250, 252. Astopper 296 is perpendicularly disposed relative to the longitudinalchannels 292 of the second and third passages 250, 252 to isolate fluidcommunication of the second and third passages 250, 252 between thefirst and third chambers 88, 92. To further isolate the longitudinalchannels 292 of the second and third passages 250, 252, a stopper 300,302 is disposed in one of the longitudinal channels 292 at the first end244 of the stem 240.

In FIGS. 14, 14A, 14B, 14C, and 14D, the fifth exemplary stem 242 isconstructed according to the teachings of the present disclosure. Thefifth exemplary stem 242 is formed by overlapping the first, second, andthird passages 248, 250, 252 without connecting the first passage 248with either of the second or third passages 250, 252. When the fifthexemplary stem 242 is disposed in the valve body 14, the longitudinalaxis F of the stem 242 is coaxial with the longitudinal axis X of thevalve body 14. This overlapping construction can be formed usingadditive manufacturing (AM) techniques. As shown in FIG. 14A, the radialchannel 272 of the first passage 248 is angled such that the radialchannel 272 does not connect with the second and third passages 250,252. In FIG. 14B, the first, second, and third passages 248, 250, 252are aligned such that the first passage 248 is axially aligned with thelongitudinal axis F, and each of the second and third passages 250, 252is radially offset relative to the longitudinal axis F and is spacedevenly from the first passage 248. However, as shown in FIG. 14C, thefirst passage 248 is radially offset relative to the longitudinal axis Fso that the first passage 248 does not intersect with a second radialchannel 306 (disposed through the second portion 260 of the stem 242) ofthe second and third passages 250, 252. Instead, the first passage 248curves around the radial second channel 306 of the second and thirdpassages 250, 252, as shown in FIG. 14C, such that the first passage 248is axially aligned with the longitudinal axis F at the second end 246 ofthe stem 242, as shown in FIG. 14D.

In FIG. 15, the first exemplary indicator assembly 96 is constructedaccording to the teachings of the present disclosure. The indicatorassembly 96 is operatively coupled to the regulator 10 and provides avisual display based on the position of the regulator 10. The visualdisplay is externally located relative to the valve body 14 so that anoperator will understand the position of the control element 38 from adistance. Specifically, the indicator assembly 96 is operatively coupledto the stem 54, so that when the control element 38 moves between theopen and closed positions, the stem 54 causes the indicator assembly 96to display a change in position of the control element 38. The indicatorassembly 96 is at least partially disposed in a radial bore 310 formedin the valve body 14, and includes a rod 314, an indicator 318operatively coupled to the rod 314, a spring 320, and a plug 322. Therod 314 is perpendicularly disposed relative to the longitudinal axis Xof the valve body 14, and is aligned with a longitudinal axis Y. The rod314 of the indicator assembly 96 is movable between a first positionwhen the control element 38 is in the closed position, as shown in FIGS.3, 8A, and 15, and a second position when the control element 38 is inthe open position, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 10A. It will be appreciatedthat the indicator assembly 96 also occupies additional positionsbetween the first and second positions to display the positioning of thecontrol element 38 when the regulator 10 is between the open and closedpositions, such as, for example, when the control element 38 is in thepartially open position shown in FIG. 9A. In FIG. 15, the longitudinalaxis Y of the rod 314 is oriented at an angle β of 90 degrees relativeto the longitudinal axis F of the stem 54 and the longitudinal axis X ofthe valve body 14. However, in other examples the angle β between thelongitudinal axis Y of the indicator assembly 96 and the longitudinalaxis X of the valve body 14 may be anywhere between 0 degrees to 180degrees.

In FIG. 15, the rod 314 includes a first end 326 slidably coupled to thesecond end 200 of the stem 54 and a second end 330 spaced away from thefirst end 326 and operatively coupled to the indicator 318.Specifically, the first end 326 of the rod 314 is slidably coupled to aconical cap 334 that is secured to the second end 200 of the stem 54.The cap 334 has a bore 338 that is both sized to receive the second end200 of the stem 54 and is in fluid communication with the passage 82 ofthe stem 54 to maintain fluid communication between the passage 82 andthe fourth chamber 94. The cap 334 has a sloped outer surface 342 thattapers from a wide first end 344 to a narrow second end 348. In otherwords, the second end 348 of the cap 334 has an outer diameter that issmaller than an outer diameter of the first end 344 of the cap 334 suchthat the rod 314 is axially displaced relative to the longitudinal Yaxis as the stem 54 moves axially relative to the longitudinal axis X ofthe valve body 14. In particular, the outer surface 342 of the cap 334is sloped at an angle α relative to the longitudinal axis X. In FIG. 15,the second end 348 of the cap 334 is in contact with a roller ball 352securably coupled to the first end 326 of the rod 314. The roller ball352 facilitates the movement of the rod 314 relative to the stem 54 asthe stem 54 moves between the open and closed positions.

The rod 314 moves axially (e.g., upwards in the J direction anddownwards in the K direction) along the Y axis to move the indicator 318outside of the valve body 14 according to the position of the controlelement 38. A guide sleeve 356 is disposed between the valve body 14 andthe rod 314 to steadily guide the rod 314. The extent to which theindicator 318 extends outside of the valve body 14 is indicative of thedegree of opening of the regulator 10. For example, when the controlelement 38 is in the open position, the roller ball 352 is in contactwith the first end 344 of the cap 334 and the indicator 318 is fullyextended in the direction J. When the control element 30 is in theclosed position, however, the roller ball 352 is in contact with thesecond end 348 of the cap 334 and the indicator 318 is fully retractedin the direction K. The extension of the indicator 318 relative to thevalve body 14 as shown in FIG. 10A (fully open) is greater than theextension of the indicator 318 relative to the valve body 14 as shown inFIG. 9A (partially open), which is, in turn, greater than the extensionof the indicator 318 relative to the valve body 14 as shown in FIG. 8A,because the rod 314 is displaced a minimal amount when roller ball 352is adjacent to the second end 348 of the cap 334 (in the closedposition) and is displaced a maximum amount when the roller ball 352 isadjacent to the first end 344 of the cap 334 (in the open position).

As shown in FIG. 15, the indicator 318 is slidably coupled to the plug322 and is extendable outside of the valve body 14. In the illustratedexample, the indicator 318 is secured to the second end 330 of the rod314, however, the indicator 318 may be part of the rod 314. Theindicator assembly 96 also includes the spring 320 contained between theplug 322 and a spring seat 360. The spring seat 360 is carried by therod 314 and moves axially along the longitudinal axis Y (e.g., upwardsin the J direction and downwards in the K direction) and compresses thespring 320 against the plug 322. The spring 320 ensures that the rollerball 352 maintains contact with the cap 334. External threads 364 of theplug 322 rotatably couple to internal threads 368 of the bore 310 of thevalve body 14 to secure the plug 322 to the valve body 14. The plug 322may be removed from the body 14 by rotating the plug 322 relative to thevalve body 14 to access the indicator assembly 96 or to adjust thecalibration of the indicator 318. The indicator 318 is visible through acover 372 attached to the plug 322. The cover 372 is preferably betransparent so that an operator can easily view the length the indicator318 extending outside of the valve body 14. In some examples, the cover372 may have a scale with measurements or markings that correspond tothe different positions of the indicator 318. In some examples, theindicator 318 may have a color (e.g., red) that is clearly visiblethrough the cover 372 and against the environment in which the regulator10 is installed.

Generally in operation, when the regulator 10 opens, the actuatorassembly 22 causes the stem 54 to move in the H direction. As the stem54 moves, the sloped surface 342 of the cap 334 slides against theroller ball 352 and pushes the rod 314 in the J direction perpendicularrelative to the H direction. The rod 314, which carries the indicator318, moves the indicator 318 in the J direction such that the indicator318 extends outside the valve body 14 and slides into view relative tothe cover 372 to display the positioning of the regulator 10. As the rod314 moves in the J direction, the rod 314 causes the spring seat 360 tocompress the spring 320 against the plug 322 so that when the stem 54moves in the G direction, the spring 320 expands and biases the springseat 360 to move the rod 314 in a K direction (opposite the Jdirection). As the rod 314 moves in the K direction, the indicator 318also moves in the K direction and slides out of view relative to thecover 372.

The indicator assembly 96 advantageously provides accurate readings ofthe position of the regulator 10 based on an orientation of theindicator assembly 96 relative to the longitudinal axis X of the valvebody 14. As shown in FIG. 15, the indicator assembly 96 is perpendicularrelative to the longitudinal axis F of the stem 54 and longitudinal axisX of the valve body 14 such that angle β is 90 degrees. To determine thedisplacement of the stem 54 or the displacement of the rod 314 thefollowing equation may be used:

L=Δh/sin β=Δx tan ∝/sin β

where L is displacement of the travel indicator 318, 1 x is thedisplacement of the stem 54, and Δh, is the displacement of the rod 314in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the stem 54.Because the angle β=90, the equation may be simplified to the following:

L=Δh=Δx tan ∝

While the travel indicator assembly 96 has been described in the contextof its use in the pressure regulator 10, the travel indicator assembly96 can also be utilized in other types of fluid control devices. As willbe described further below, different iterations of the travel indicatorassembly may include at least one feature that is operatively coupled tothe rod and operatively couplable to a stem to indicate travel of thestem of the pressure regulator or other fluid control device. In thefollowing examples, the roller ball feature of the travel indicatorassembly is replaced by, for example, a rack and pinion feature, a cordand roller feature, or a hinged arm feature.

FIG. 16 illustrates a second exemplary indicator assembly 496constructed according to the teachings of the present disclosure. Thesecond exemplary indicator assembly 496 may replace the first exemplaryindicator assembly 96 to operate with the regulator 10 of FIGS. 1-10B.The second exemplary indicator assembly 496 is similar to the indicatorassembly 96 discussed above, except the second exemplary indicatorassembly 496 utilizes engagement of the stem 54 and a rod 414 to convertaxial movement (e.g., in G and H directions) of the stem 54 of theregulator 10 to rotational movement (e.g., in R and T directions) of therod 414 to display the positioning of the control element 38 in a rackand pinion embodiment (FIG. 16A) or, alternatively, to convert axialmovement (e.g., in G and H directions) of the stem 54 to axial movement(e.g., in J and K directions) of the rod 414 to display the positioningof the control element 38 in a rack and rack embodiment (FIG. 16B).Elements of the second exemplary indicator assembly 496 which aresimilar to the elements of the first exemplary indicator assembly 96 aredesignated by the same reference numeral, incremented by 100. Adescription of many of these elements is abbreviated or even eliminatedin the interest of brevity.

The second exemplary indicator assembly 496 of FIG. 16 is arranged ineither a rack and pinion configuration (FIG. 16A), or a rack and rackconfiguration (FIG. 16B). In the rack and pinion embodiment illustratedin FIG. 16A, an indicator 418 of the indicator assembly 496 does notmove in the vertical direction along the Y axis, but instead rotatesrelative to the Y axis when the stem 54 moves axially along thelongitudinal axis X. For example, movement of the stem 54 in the Hdirection causes the rod 414 of the indicator assembly 496 to rotate ina T direction about the longitudinal axis Y of the stem 414. Therotational motion of the indicator assembly 496 may be configured in anumber of different ways. In the illustrated example of FIG. 16A, therod 414 has a corrugated outer surface 452 providing a plurality ofteeth that are configured to matingly engage with a corrugated outersurface 442 of the second end 200 of the stem 54. The teeth of the outersurface 452 of the rod 414 engage with the teeth of the corrugatedsurface 442 of the stem 54, such that as the stem 54 moves axially inthe G or H directions, the stem 54 engages the teeth of the rod 414 torotate the rod 414 in either the T or R directions, respectively. Thecorrugated surface 442 of the stem 54 and the teeth of the outer surface452 of the rod 414 may be arranged to provide a particular gear ratio toachieve a desired degree of rotation of the rod 414 corresponding to thefull linear travel of the stem 54.

As the indicator 418 rotates, a position of the control element 38 maybe displayed based on the rotational position of the indicator 418. Inthe illustrated example, the second piston 62 is adjacent to the secondend 53 of the sleeve 50 such that the control element 38 is in the openposition. In the open position, the indicator 418 displays a triangularflag with a pointed end pointing toward the inlet 26 of the valve body14. In the closed position, the flag of the indicator 418 may beconfigured to point toward the outlet 30 of the valve body 14. Inanother example, the flag of the indicator 418 may be pointed toward theinlet 26 when the regulator 10 is closed, and the flag of the indicator418 may be pointed toward the outlet 30 when the regulator 10 is open.The indicator 418 may display positioning of the regulator 10 in otherways, for example, by exposing different colors or displaying text asthe indicator 418 rotates in a display case or cover 472. In yet otherexamples, the indicator 418 provide a different visible signal tocommunicate the positions of the regulator 10. For example, theindicator may match up with different measurements or markings on thecover 472 based on the position of the regulator 10.

In operation, the stem 54 moves in the H direction to open the regulator10. The corrugated outer surface 442 of the stem 54 engages thecorrugated outer surface 452 of the rod 414, causing the rod 414 torotate in the T direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 16A) about the Yaxis. As shown in FIG. 16, the regulator 10 is in the fully openposition and the flag of the indicator 418 is pointing away from theoutlet 30 (i.e., toward the inlet 26). When the regulator 10 closes, thestem 54 moves in the G direction (opposite the H direction) and engagesthe rod 414 to rotate the rod 414 in a R direction (clockwise in FIG.16A) about the Y axis. Rotation of the rod 414 causes rotation of theflag of the indicator 418 such that when the control element 38 is inthe closed position, the flag of the indicator 418 points toward theoutlet 30 of the valve body 14.

In the rack and rack embodiment illustrated in FIG. 16B, the rod 414includes helical threads 474 that are configured to engage with helicalthreads 476 of the stem 54. In this configuration, the helical threads476 of the stem 54 engage the helical threads 474 of the rod 414 whenthe stem 54 moves in the G or H direction to move the rod 414 axially inthe J or K direction. As the stem 54 moves in the H direction, thehelical threads 476 of the stem 54 engage the helical threads 474 of therod 414 to move the rod 414 in the J direction, extending the indicator418 into the display cover 472. As the stem 54 moves in the G direction,the helical threads 476 of the stem 54 engage the helical threads 474 ofthe rod 414 to move the rod 414 in the K direction to lower theindicator 418 within the display cover 472. Thus, like the travelindicator assembly 96, the rack and rack embodiment of the travelindicator assembly 496 indicates the position of the regulator 10 basedon the position of the indicator 418 along the Y axis. In anotherexample, the indicator assembly 496 may be constructed differently totranslate axial movement of the stem 54 into rotational movement of therod 414 and indicator 418. In yet another example, a fluid regulator maybe constructed such that rotational movement of the stem 54 moves thecontrol element 38 between open and closed positions. In this case, theindicator assembly 496 would be configured to convert the rotationalmovement of the stem 54 into axial movement of the rod 414 and indicator418 to display the positioning of the regulator 10.

FIG. 17 illustrates a third exemplary indicator assembly 596 constructedaccording to the teachings of the present disclosure. The thirdexemplary indicator assembly 596 may replace the first exemplaryindicator assembly 96 to operate with the regulator 10 of FIGS. 1-10B.The third exemplary indicator assembly 596 is similar to the indicatorassembly 96 discussed above, except the third exemplary indicatorassembly 596 includes a cord 576 and roller assembly 580 to translate anaxial movement of the stem 54 (e.g., in G and H directions) to an axialmovement of the rod 514 (e.g., in J and K directions). Elements of thethird exemplary indicator assembly 596 which are similar to the elementsof the first exemplary indicator assembly 96 are designated by the samereference numeral, incremented by 200. A description of many of theseelements is abbreviated or even eliminated in the interest of brevity.

As shown in FIG. 17, the rod 514 is operatively coupled to the stem 54by way of the cord 576 and roller assembly 580. In particular, the cord576 is operatively coupled to the second end 200 of the stem 54 at afirst hook 552 and to a first end 526 of the rod 514 at a second hook548. The roller assembly 580 is coupled to the cord 576 to transmitdisplacement of the stem 54 to the rod 514 via the cord 576. The cord576 bends around the roller assembly 580 such that a portion of the cord576 moves in the G and H directions with the stem 54, and a portion ofthe cord 576 moves in the J and K directions with the rod 514. The cord576 is a flexible material, such as a steel wire to bend around theroller assembly 580, yet is sufficiently rigid so the cord 576 remainsin tension between the stem 54 and the rod 514. A spring 520 is disposedbetween a spring seat 560 extending radially outward from the rod 514and a plug 522. The spring 520 expands in the J direction when the stem54 moves in the H direction and compresses in the K direction when thestem 54 moves in the G direction. In operation, the stem 54 pulls thecord 576 in the G direction to close the regulator 10, and the rod 514pulls the cord 576 in the J direction when the stem 54 moves in the Hdirection. The spring 520 helps ensure that the steel cord 576 staystaught to properly respond to the movement of the stem 54. In this case,the indicator 518 is the second end 530 of the rod 514 such that the rod514 is slidably disposed through a bore in the plug 522 to extendoutside of the valve body 14 to indicate the positioning of the controlelement 38. However, in another example, the rod 514 and the indicatorelement 518 are separate components.

FIG. 18 illustrates a fourth exemplary indicator assembly 696constructed according to the teachings of the present disclosure. Thefourth exemplary indicator assembly 696 may replace the first exemplaryindicator assembly 96 to operate with the regulator 10 of FIGS. 1-10B.The fourth exemplary indicator assembly 696 is similar to the firstexemplary indicator assembly 96 discussed above, except the fourthexemplary indicator assembly 696 includes a rigid arm 684 connecting thestem 54 and a rod 614 to translate an axial movement of the stem 54(e.g., in G and H directions) to an axial movement of the rod 614 (e.g.,J and K directions). Elements of the fourth exemplary indicator assembly696 which are similar to the elements of the first exemplary indicatorassembly 96 are designated by the same reference numeral, incremented by300. A description of many of these elements is abbreviated or eveneliminated in the interest of brevity.

As shown in FIG. 18, the arm 684 has a first end 688 hingedly coupled tothe second end 200 of the stem 54 and a second end 692 hingedly coupledto a first end 626 of the rod 614. Similar to the third exemplaryindicator assembly 596, the rod 614 of the fourth exemplary indicatorassembly 696 is integrally formed with the indicator 618. The arm 685 isa rigid member that translates axial movement of the stem 54 to axialmovement of the rod 614. When the regulator 10 opens, the stem 54 pushesthe first end 688 of the arm 684 in the H direction, which causes thesecond end 692 of the arm 684 to slide in the J direction within a bore610 of the valve body 14. The second end 692 is hingedly coupled to thefirst end 626 of the rod 614 to permit the arm 684 to swivel in a Vdirection when the first end 688 moves in the H direction. When theregulator 10 closes, the stem 54 pulls the first end 688 of the arm 684in the G direction, causing the second end 692 of the arm 684 to slidein the K direction within the bore 610 of the valve body 14. The arm 684swivels in an M direction (opposite of the V direction) when the firstend 688 of the arm 684 moves in the G direction. In another example, theindicator assembly 696 may include a second arm 684 hingedly coupled tothe stem 54 and the rod 614.

Referring again to FIGS. 2 and 3, a method of assembling or installingthe regulator 10 generally includes the steps of providing a single-castvalve body 14, assembling the actuator assembly 22, operatively couplingthe control element 38 to the stem 54, aligning the actuator assembly 22with the longitudinal axis X of the valve body 14, inserting theactuator assembly 22 into the bore 18 of the valve body 14 through theinlet 26, and securing the actuator assembly 22 to the valve body 14 byoperatively coupling the inlet fitting 42 to the valve body 14. Toassemble the actuator assembly 22, the first and second pistons 60, 62and the first and second sleeve portions 50 a, 50 b are assembled to thestem 54. Specifically, the step of assembling the actuator assembly 22includes sliding the second end 200 of the stem 54 through the aperture89 of the second plate 72 and an aperture of the second piston 62 andsliding the first end 132 of the stem 54 through an aperture of thefirst piston 60 and the aperture 87 of the first plate 70. The first andsecond pistons 60, 62 are secured to the stem 54 as described above. Thehub 130 of the control element 138 slides onto the first end 132 of thestem 54 and secured thereto. The cap 334 is secured to the second end200 of the stem 54. The stem 54 and the components attached thereto arethen fully inserted into the valve body 14 along with the cage 104, andall of the internal components are maintained in the valve body 14 bysecuring the inlet fitting 46 to the inlet 26.

The axial regulator 10 of the present disclosure advantageouslysimplifies regulator construction, manufacturing, maintenance, andassembly. To access the internal components of the disclosed regulator10, an operator need only remove the inlet fitting 46 from the valvebody 14 and slide the internal components out of the bore 18 through theinlet 26, which can be accomplished with the regulator 10 installed in apipeline via the spacer 134 (FIG. 3). Assembly of the regulator 10 isalso simplified as the internal components may be properly arrangedprior to inserting the actuator assembly 22 into the valve body 14,thereby ensuring accurate alignment and placement of the components.Repair or replacement of the regulator components is also simplified,and access to the internal components may be achieved through the inlet26 or, in some cases, a different access entry from the inlet 26 (e.g.,the outlet 30). The removability of the internal components furtherenables the valve body 14 to be used with different types of internalcomponents to provide different functionality. For example, differentinternal components may be inserted into the valve body 14 to enable theresulting device to function as a control valve or a slam-shut safetyvalve. The stem 54 of the regulator 10 also facilitates assembly. Asdiscussed above, the stem 54 has different portions with varying outerdiameters. When positioning the stem 54 relative to the sleeve 50 priorto inserting the internal components into the valve body 14, theoperator need only match the apertures 87, 89 of the plates 70, 72 ofthe sleeve 50 with the corresponding thicknesses (i.e., segments) of thestem 54. Additionally, the operator may ensure that the passage 82 ofthe stem 54 fluidly connects the first and second downstream chambers90, 94 and the pathway 76 of the sleeve 50 fluidly connects the firstand second upstream chambers 88, 92 before disposing the actuatorassembly 22 within the valve body 14.

The dual piston actuator assembly 22 affords the regulator 10 a compactdesign while providing adequate pressure sensing area. The pistons 60,62 are arranged in series and the upstream chambers 88, 92 and thedownstream chambers 90, 94 defined in part by each piston 60, 62 are influid communication. In this way, the dual piston actuator assembly 22effectively provides a pressure sensing area similar to or even greaterthan that of a much larger single-piston actuator assembly, but in arelatively compact configuration. The size of the regulator 10 isfurther reduced through the axial insertion of the internal components,which permits the valve body 14 to be a single component rather thanmultiple components that are joined with large and heavy flanges. Thecompact size enables the regulator 10 to be designed for installation inlarge line sizes (e.g., a 12 inch line), whereas the size and weight ofconventional axial regulators may limit the design of such regulators tosmaller line sizes.

Additionally, the actuator assembly 22 is arranged such that the firstand second pistons 60, 62 move in sealing engagement with the sleeve 50,and not an interior wall of the valve body 14. This simplifies themanufacturing process as only the sleeve 50, and not the valve body 14,needs to be machined to provide a smooth sliding interior surface 214.Accordingly, the larger valve body 14 can be manufactured using alower-cost technique such as rough casting rather than machining. Thus,the dual piston actuator assembly 22 consequently reduces themanufacturing cost of the regulator 10.

The second, third, fourth, and fifth exemplary stems 236, 238, 240, and242 also simplify manufacturing of the dual-piston actuator assembly 22.As described above, each of the second, third, fourth, and fifthexemplary stems 236, 238, 240, and 242 provides at least two passages tofluidly connect the first and third chambers 88, 92, and the second andfourth chambers 90, 94. Because each of the stems 236, 238, 240, and 242provides a fluid connection between the first and third chambers 88, 92,the sleeve 50 of the regulator 10 may not include one or more pathways76 extending through the cylindrical portion 66 of the sleeve 50 and thesecond disk 72. In this way, the regulator 10 would not require the samesealing mechanisms disposed in the bore 18 and between the valve body 14and the sleeve 50 to effectively seal the pathway 76 of the actuatorassembly 22. Rather, the control pressure is routed through the stem236, 238, 240, 242 and not formed in the cylindrical wall 66 of thesleeve 50.

The indicator assemblies 96, 396, 496, 596, and 696 of the presentdisclosure may advantageously provide both accurate readings of theposition of the regulator 10 and compact designs by converting the axialdisplacement of the stem 54 into an indicator movement that isconveniently disposed on the outside of the regulator 10.

Any of the components of the regulator 10 may be made using an additivemanufacturing (AM) technique or process that builds three-dimensionalobjects by adding successive layers of material on a material orreceiving surface. In particular, the first, second, third, fourth, andfifth stems 236, 238, 240, and 242 could be made using AM to achieve thestaggered passage arrangement and even more complex passagearrangements. The AM technique may be performed by any suitable machineor combination of machines. The AM technique may typically involve oruse a computer, three-dimensional modeling software (e.g., ComputerAided Design, or CAD, software), machine equipment, and layeringmaterial. Once a CAD model is produced, the machine equipment may readin data from the CAD file and layer or add successive layers of liquid,powder, sheet material (for example) in a layer-upon-layer fashion tofabricate a three-dimensional object. The AM technique may include anyof several techniques or processes, such as, for example, astereolithography (“SLA”) process, digital light processing (“DLP”), afused deposition modeling (“FDM”) process, a multi-jet modeling (“MJM”)process, a selective laser sintering (“SLS”) process, a selective lasermelting (“SLM”) process, an electronic beam melting (“EBM”) process, andan arc welding AM process. In some embodiments, the AM process mayinclude a directed energy laser deposition process. Such a directedenergy laser deposition process may be performed by a multi-axiscomputer-numerically-controlled (“CNC”) lathe with directed energy laserdeposition capabilities. Other manufacturing techniques may be utilizedto create a stem for an axial regulator according to the presentdisclosure, and are not limited to the techniques herein.

The figures and description provided herein depict and describepreferred embodiments of an axial regulator for purposes of illustrationonly. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the foregoingdiscussion that alternative embodiments of the components illustratedherein may be employed without departing from the principles describedherein. Thus, upon reading this disclosure, those of skill in the artwill appreciate still additional alternative structural and functionaldesigns for the axial regulator. Thus, while particular embodiments andapplications have been illustrated and described, it is to be understoodthat the disclosed embodiments are not limited to the preciseconstruction and components disclosed herein. Various modifications,changes and variations, which will be apparent to those skilled in theart, may be made in the arrangement, operation and details of themethods and components disclosed herein without departing from thespirit and scope defined in the appended claims.

1. A fluid control device comprising: a valve body defining an inlet, anoutlet, and a flow path connecting the inlet and the outlet; a controlelement movable along a longitudinal axis between the inlet and theoutlet between a closed position, in which the control element engages avalve seat, and an open position, in which the control element is spacedaway from the valve seat; a stem operatively coupled to the controlelement and axially aligned with the longitudinal axis; an indicatorassembly at least partially disposed in a bore of the valve body alongan indicator axis that is non-parallel with the longitudinal axis,wherein movement of the stem along the longitudinal axis causes movementof a rod of the indicator assembly along or about the indicator axis toindicate a position of the control element.
 2. The fluid control deviceof claim 1, wherein the indicator axis is perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis.
 3. The fluid control device of claim 1, wherein theindicator assembly includes an indicator that is coupled to the rod andthat is extendable outside of the valve body.
 4. (canceled)
 5. The fluidcontrol device of claim 3, wherein the indicator extends a firstdistance outside of the valve body when the control element is in theopen position and extends a second distance outside of the valve bodywhen the control element is in the closed position.
 6. The fluid controldevice of claim 5, wherein the first distance is greater than the seconddistance.
 7. The fluid control device of claim 1, wherein the indicatorassembly includes a spring that biases the rod toward the stem. 8.(canceled)
 9. The fluid control device of claim 1, further comprising acap disposed at an end of the stem and including a sloped surface. 10.The fluid control device of claim 9, wherein the cap has a wide firstend and a narrow second end, the first end of the cap in contact withthe rod when the control element is in the open position, and the secondend of the cap in contact with the rod when the control element is inthe closed position.
 11. (canceled)
 12. The fluid control device ofclaim 1, wherein the indicator assembly includes a cord and a roller,the cord operatively coupled to the stem at a first end of the cord andoperatively coupled to the rod at a second end of the cord, the cord andthe roller configured to translate an axial movement of the stem to anaxial movement of the rod.
 13. The fluid control device of claim 1,wherein the indicator assembly includes an arm hingedly coupled to thestem and hingedly coupled to the rod, the arm configured to translate anaxial movement of the stem to an axial movement of the rod.
 14. Thefluid control device of claim 1, wherein an axial movement of the stemcauses rotational movement of the rod.
 15. The fluid control device ofclaim 14, wherein the stem includes a corrugated surface and the rodincludes a corrugated surface rotatably coupled to the corrugatedsurface of the stem, and wherein when the stem moves in a directionparallel to the longitudinal axis of the valve body, the corrugatedsurface of the stem engages the corrugated surface of the rod to rotatethe rod about the indicator axis.
 16. (canceled)
 17. A fluid controldevice comprising: a valve body defining an inlet, an outlet, and a flowpath connecting the inlet and the outlet; a control element movablealong a longitudinal axis of the valve body between a closed position,in which the control element engages a valve seat, and an open position,in which the control element is spaced away from the valve seat; a stemoperatively coupled to the control element and axially aligned with thelongitudinal axis; an indicator assembly at least partially disposed ina bore of the valve body along an indicator axis that is non-parallelwith the longitudinal axis, wherein the indicator assembly includes: aroller that is in contact with a conical cap that is connected to thestem; and a rod that is coupled to the roller, wherein movement of theroller along the cap causes movement of the rod along the indicator axisto indicate a position of the control element relative to the valveseat.
 18. (canceled)
 19. The fluid control device of claim 17, whereinthe indicator assembly includes a spring that biases the roller towardsthe conical cap.
 20. The fluid control device of claim 17, wherein theindicator extends a first distance outside of the valve body when thecontrol element is in the open position and extends a second distanceoutside of the valve body when the control element is in the closedposition, wherein the first distance is greater than the seconddistance.
 21. An indicator assembly for use with a fluid control devicecomprising: a rod that is positioned at least partially within a body ofthe fluid control device along an indicator axis; at least one featurethat is operatively coupled to the rod and operatively couplable to astem of the fluid control device, wherein the indicator assembly isconfigured to convert the movement of the stem along a longitudinal axisthat is non-parallel with the indicator axis into a movement along orabout the indicator axis to indicate a position of a control element ofthe fluid control device.
 22. The indicator assembly of claim 21,wherein the indicator axis is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.23. The indicator assembly of claim 21, further comprising an indicatorthat is coupled to the rod and that is extendable outside of the body.24. (canceled)
 25. The indicator assembly of claim 21, wherein theindicator extends a first distance outside of the body when the fluidcontrol device is in an open position and extends a second distanceoutside of the body when the fluid control device is in the closedposition, the first distance being greater than the second distance.26-28. (canceled)
 29. The indicator assembly of claim 21, wherein the atleast one feature is configured to engage a cap disposed at an end ofthe stem and having a sloped surface, and wherein the at least onefeature is positioned at a wide end of the cap when the control elementis in a first position and at a narrow end of the cap when the controlelement is in a second position. 30-32. (canceled)